In Tianjin, women prove they can handle power
Female engineers working at State Grid are defying traditional roles
Zhao Nan, 34, has received numerous awards for her work, including the "March 8 Red-banner Pacesetter" in Ninghe district, Tianjin, and accolades granted by the State Grid. "To protect the 'heart' of the grid, the transformer substation, I believe I should be like a responsible doctor curing diseases," said Zhao, who leads a rescue team of seven engineers, most of whom are men.
Ever since she earned her master's degree in electric power engineering from Yanshan University in Hebei province in 2016, Zhao has been actively involved in various critical tasks, including conducting internal inspections of capacitive switches in substations and overhauling circuit breakers.
Additionally, she has contributed to significant projects, including participating in the replacement of many high-kilowatt transformers.
Furthermore, she has been instrumental in capacitor and grounding grid transformations. Throughout her tenure, there have been no power grid, personal, or equipment accidents, including during her commitment to a seven-month special task for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games.
"My passion for my career is the key to my efforts, and carefulness — a trait often associated with women — is crucial to success," she said.
Echoing Zhao, Liu also emphasized the inner strength and endurance that women possess, saying that they persevere even when facing dangerous tasks.
"Sometimes, I don't tell my mom that I do some risky work ... for fear she would be worried about me," Liu said.
She recalled being impressed by the company's March 8 team, which solely consists of capable, competent female engineers working high above the ground.
